Yet, another Sims 3 issue.

[jillbird86]

Hello,

I had purchased The Sims 3 back in 2009 through Origin/EA. I never needed a disc, but downloaded via internet. That desktop is long gone, and I had purchased a Studio 1747 laptop in 2010. Recently, I decided to play The Sims 3 again and in hopes of buying the Pets expansion pack. So, I downloaded Origin onto my laptop and logged in, through that I found my purchase and game key, which allowed me to download onto my laptop. Everything went smooth, except:

It didn't recognize my graphic card, but the graphic card is pretty darn good.

ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650

Still, it didn't recognize this, but it did continue and install.

I launch the game and create a sim no problem. I get to the neighborhood and purchase a home, no problem. Soon as I zoom down to the house to begin play, it freezes than crashes to desktop saying:

Windows stopped working, finding a solution...

But it never finds a solution.

I have tried so many things to get this to work and sadly I cannot seem to find the answer.

I think the computer is compatible to the game because I ran a check, or scan and it passed all the requirements. So there must be another underlying problem here.

Any suggestions? Thank you!

Here is a link to the System Requirement Lab Analysis of my computer and The Sims 3 game.

http://www.systemrequirementslab.com/CYRI/analysis.aspx?name=The-Sims-3&id=10845&session=d2e43792-b45b-4217-bcff-ab1a39a32853

[jillbird86]

***EDIT***

I figure it out. I uninstalled then reinstalled the game, then I DID not patch to the latest patch with the pets adoption etc. I believe that patch caused a glitch so I couldn't play.

If I do purchase Pets expansion, does this mean I wont be able to play it? Should I wait until another patch is released?

[Joey]

Hello. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 is a very good graphics card to play Sims 3 and even the latest Sims Medieval on. Some might say it is even a “fast” graphics card for Sims gaming.

There could be a few fixes to your problem. Try all of the fixes, in the order I post them below.

#1 – It is very important to fully update Windows 7. (The latest Sims 3 updates and expansion packs will not run properly if Windows is not fully updated.) Make sure all of the updates are installed then restart your PC. Check for new updates that popped up after the restart.
If you need it I created a tutorial on this subject: http://www.cleartechinfo.com/How-To-Update-Windows-7-Microsoft-Windows-Update

#2 – Download the latest ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 drivers at the AMD/ATI site. You did not say what version of Windows you are running. I will assume you are running Windows 7 32 or 64-bit. Below are drivers for each version (only download 1 version for you specific setup)
Windows 7 64-bit: http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/windows/Pages/radeonmob_win7-64.aspx

Windows 7 32-bit: http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/windows/Pages/radeonmob_win7-32.aspx#2

#3 – After you installed the new graphics drivers you must restart your computer so everything will work.

#4 – Download and Install the Free version of “Game Booster”: http://www.iobit.com/gamebooster.html
I usually recommend this to speed up people’s games but I have also used it to fix problems with games crashing.
In case you need it, the latest video tutorial I created was on how to install and optimize Game Booster. The video is at the end of the article: http://www.cleartechinfo.com/How-To-Get-Less-Lag-Higher-Frame-Rates-running-PC-Games-Game-Booster

#5 – Make sure the laptop is plugged into the A/C power adapter. If it is unplugged the processor and graphics card will be powered down to save batter life. This would be horrible for games and might make it incompatible.

#6 – Place the laptop on a flat surface like a table or desk before and during gameplay; preferably in a cool area. The last thing you want to do is play with the laptop on your lap. Laptop overheating will also slow down a processor and cause problems. (The site moderator on here named Anne had laptop overheating while playing games. Her laptop would often crash due to overheating. When she fixed the overheating problem her laptop stopped crashing while playing games.)

#7 – Fully update Sims 3 to the latest patch. After it is done patching/updating, Restart your PC

#8 – Run Game Booster

#9 – Play Sims 3

[jillbird86]

Thank you for the fast response! I will try this out and hopefully buy the Pets expansion pack.

One last question:

I launch Sims 3 through Origin, will this effect Game Booster?

Ty.

[Joey]

It will not effect Game Booster. Just be sure to turn Game Booster on 1st, then Origin, last Sims 3.